Runaway
by xXShadowWalkerXx
Summary: Josephine Lynn Stackhouse begins to gain powers right before her eighteenth birthday. She runs off to Dallas and agrees to help a certain vampire Sheriff in return for protection. The ultimate question is will this arrangement be the undoing of them both? Multi-chapter
1. Chapter 1

Bon Temps was the kind of town where news spread around in a matter of minutes. Everyone knew everybody and more importantly, everybody's dirty secrets. That is why when Josephine Stackhouse turned eighteen, she left the town without looking back.

Josephine had been raised by her Gran after her mom passed away. Gran then took in her two cousins, Jason and Sookie, after their parents passed away soon after. Her dark brown bob differed from Sookie's blond locks. Josephine had big, brown eyes and eyelashes many girls envied. When all the girls Josephine's age started wearing makeup and dresses, Josephine stuck with looking natural and kept wearing her leather jacket and faded jeans. She was nothing out of the ordinary.

Josephine headed straight for Dallas. The owner of the new bar her cousin just started working at, Sam Merlotte, had already called a friend of his who was keeping a small apartment available for her. Sam was a a nice guy and pretty handsome, though Josephine would never admit that out loud. He just wasn't a good enough reason to stay.

Josephine had a secret. A few nights before she turned eighteen, odd things started happening. It started with her eyes changing to a dark violet, causing her to constantly wear sunglasses so people wouldn't freak out. Her cousin, Sookie, was the only one who knew about the unnatural transition. Everyone else thought she had a hangover.

A few hours after her eyes changed, so did her surroundings. Josephine began to see everyone's emotions as if they physically clung to them. Her world became one mass of strange, indescribable colors. For example, two lovers would most likely glow a pinkish tint.

Josephine didn't understand what was happening to her. No one else in her family had glowing purple eyes. Sookie was a telepath, but she was born with that ability. Perhaps she was just going crazy. That's exactly why she left her home town. She did not want her cousin's reputation. Josephine loved Sookie, but Josephine could not live in a town that was constantly talking behind her back. She was not strong enough to tolerate it.

Parking her motorcycle at a small restaurant where she planned to eat for dinner, Josephine saw someone whom didn't have colors clinging to him. He appeared to be about Josephine's age. He was entering an alley which was lit up with dark colors.

Josephine turned off her bike and put her hand in her leather jacket's pocket, where she kept her pocket knife. Creeping slowly towards the alley, Josephine began to hear voices. "We know what you are, vampire!" one man said, backing away more with each step the mysterious man took. The one who spoke was frightened, but Josephine didn't need to look at his colors to see that.

A small shriek escaped Josephine when she heard the vampire's fangs snap. Josephine swore that she saw the vampire turn and face her for a split second. Two more men appeared, ready to pounce on the vampire. They were carrying pointy pieces of wood, from what Josephine could decipher. It was dark enough without her tinted sunglasses.

Everything changed in just a few seconds. Beginning to fight the three men, the vampire grabbed one and threw him against the alley wall, killing him on impact. Grabbing another, he broke that one's neck. The vampire saved the leader of the three for last. Letting fear settle in the large man for a few seconds, the vampire knocked the man's head clear off his shoulders.

Josephine let out another shriek involuntarily when she saw the decapitated head roll. The vampire then recognized her presence. He didn't turn around to face her, however. "Why didn't you run when you found out what I was?" he asked.

"I was curious," she answered calmly. She desperately wanted to walk closer to him. He had no colors. Did he have emotions at all? Did her powers only work on the living?

The vampire turned around leisurely. Josephine took the time to examine what she could. He still had some boyish features. Josephine couldn't make out his exact hair color and eye color, but his hair appeared to be dark.

"Why are you wearing sunglasses after the sun has set?" the vampire asked.

"You ask an awful lot of questions," she told him and gave out a short chuckle. Josephine was starting to get extremely nervous. She did just see the vampire kill three people in front of her after all. Perhaps if he found out what she could do, he would kill her as well. Josephine kind of liked her head connected to her body.

"I was curious," the vampire answered back in a cocky fashion. Beginning to walk closer to her, Josephine stayed in her exact place. Once he got close enough, he removed her sunglasses. Looking down a bit, Josephine awaited the inevitable.

"What are you?" the vampire asked. He looked legitimately puzzled, which might have been a good sign. But that also meant that there most likely wasn't others like her, at least to this vampire's knowledge.

"I really don't know. It happened about a week ago," she explained. Perhaps he would have sympathy and not kill her. That would be great.

'It's more than your eyes. You smell different. You act different," he muttered, the last part being more to himself. He briefly analyzed her, clearly growing more puzzled with each passing second.

Josephine's stomach started growling, breaking the intensity of the moment. "I almost forgot humans did that," he said and led her into the nearby restaurant. They sat down at a booth with a window view. Her night was turning into something you would read in an Anne Rice novel.

A waitress came by and took Josephine's order within seconds of sitting down. This little hole-in-the-wall obviously wasn't used to getting much customers. The vampire didn't take her eyes off of her, which was uncomfortable, to say the least.

"I am Godric," he told her as soon as the waitress had left.

"My name is Jo," she told him while fiddling with the utensils.

In response, Godric looked up at her curiously. "I thought that was a man's name," he admitted. Josephine laughed, genuinely this time.

"It is short for Josephine, but no one really calls me that anymore," she told him. Her momma used to call her by her whole name, Josephine Lynn Stackhouse. Ever since her momma passed away, she cringed at the sound of her whole first name. She didn't tell the vampire, practically a stranger, all of that though.

Josephine quietly explained to Godric why she left Bon Temps, leaving out that her cousin was a telepath barmaid. She even told him about the small apartment Sam had made sure was reserved for her. Godric looked as though he was absorbing every word she told him.

"There are more like me in the city, many whom won't be able to control themselves around you. You need protection. A small apartment downtown will not give you any," he told her.

"By smell different, you must have meant I am some sort of vampire crack," Josephine mumbled and blew a strand of dark brown hair out of her face. Godric smiled a small smile. He had tribal tattoos wrapping around his shoulders and from what she could tell, the same pattern drifted down by his chest. His eyes did not match his body's age. She saw years of knowledge in those pale blue orbs.

"Yeah, basically," he told her, "Newborn vampires don't have the restraint like us older ones. That's why we created a system. We track where vampires are now and the makers usually keep a leash on their offspring, but that doesn't guarantee anything."

Josephine let out a sigh. She came here to be normal. Before tonight, she didn't even know vampires existed. She wouldn't have believed it, had she not seen the man move at an unnatural speed and kill three men who could have qualified to work for the UFC.

"This gift you told me you have, does it work on all humans?" he asked.

"All the ones I have met so far anyways. I am just getting accustomed to it," she told him. Frankly, she tried to forget she had strange eyes and could see colors that others, normal people, couldn't see.

"You could be an asset to us. I have authority in this area. I can protect you and pay you in return for your services. Vampires must rely on humans. You would be saving us trouble if you could point out those who are dishonest with us," Godric told her. The bargain sounded too good.

"Why does it sound like there is still a catch?" she asked him.

"My king would want us to be Bound. It isn't something my kind takes lightly. Once we would be Bound, you would be claimed by me and I would be able to know where you are and how you are feeling at all times, and vice versa," he explained reluctantly.

Josephine did not like the term "bound". It takes away her independence, but it was starting to feel like her only choice. Godric looked like he was being serious, although serious seemed to be his normal expression. If all that he was saying was true, she would be dead within a week without him. "Why are you willing to do all this for me? I don't even understand all that I can do yet. Plus, we just met and it wasn't a very formal meeting," she huffed.

"You aren't entirely human, you are young, and you are in a vampire infested area. It is my job to make the supernatural stay hidden. You could help me with that. I think we could benefit each other," he explained seconds before Josephine's double cheeseburger and curly fries arrived.

After paying for her meal, Godric gave Josephine his personal number and told her to call him as soon as the sun set the following night with an answer. However, it didn't take Josephine long to realize that she belonged with the blood-drinking creatures of the night.

* * *

**This is my first True Blood fanfic. Last week's episode has gotten me so aggravated! So I wanted to write a happy-ish fanfic. How am I doing so far? **


	2. Crawling Back

**Six Years Later**

Josephine was trapped in a basement with a vampire, her vampire. She was going up in flames as soon as dawn came. Which, luckily, wasn't for at least six more hours. "Well, this is fantastic," she mocked. A guard came in. He started chaining the two of them together. Godric screamed in agony, so that meant the chains were made with silver. "Whores like you deserve to die," the guard told Josephine.

"I ain't a whore, you fucker," Josephine told him. He punched Josephine in her jaw, but she didn't make a sound. Josephine had been in enough trouble to know what pain really felt like. She had become a stripper, her dream job. Okay, not really. It was as good in the business as she got. No college experience really limits the job choices in big ol' Dallas, Texas. Godric, of course, offered her money to go to college. Hell, he offered her straight money all the time. Josephine just felt that she did not want to go through life without earning a damn thing.

"Josephine Lynn, calm down," Godric hissed.

A few minutes later, Josephine heard piercing screams. "They're here," Godric muttered softly.

Stan ran into the room. "Josephine Lynn Stackhouse. No one told me you were in town," the cowboy vampire said. Josephine loved the way she drawled out her name. Josephine was free to leave and enter Dallas, Texas as she pleased. She was no one's play thing. Godric was her protector and close friend, nothing more. The past six years of her life, however was spent learning how to act around vampires and other Supes. Josephine had gained a bad ass reputation and she did not take anyone, Supe or not's crap.

Some Were came and undid the chains that was around Godric and Josephine. The first thing she did was fix her dark brown curls that were all sticky in sweat. If the bastard of a guard was not already dead, she would have killed him herself. She got money for looking pretty. Damaged curls was not pretty. "I wasn't. You know I would have came to the king first," Josephine told him after she regained her composure and winked. She was sure Godric rolled his eyes at her remarks. He could not stand the flirty relationship King Stan and Josephine had. He was not one to get possessive, but he kept a close eye on her relationship with any and all vampires. They left for Stan's mansion quickly, bloodshed following them on their way out.

"The Louisiana vampires and their telepath is here," a guard announced.

"Bring them in," Stan said. Two vampires came in and just stared at Josephine. She could sense the presence of someone familiar. Sookie appeared out of the crowd. Josephine put her head down. Of course Sookie would get in with the vampire politics as well. Truthfully, Josephine had not talked to her sister in six years. She felt cutting off all her old connections cold turkey was best.

"At your house. Come meet me. It's important," Barry told Josephine telepathically. Barry was a telepath, like Sookie. He could send out messages straight to Josephine, like a one sided walkie-talkie. Her powers had not increased since her eighteenth birthday. She just learned how to control her violet eyes. However, she showed them when in the presence of vampires. Her eyes were like a badge of entrance into most vampire functions. She was known by her freakish purple eyes.

"Godric, I have to go," Josephine told him. It was best to leave now, anyways. Sookie may decide to corner her and interrogate her every action for the past six years.

"Already?" he whined. He was just like a child sometimes, other times he acted his age, which was thousands of years old.

"Yeah. I have things to do," Josephine answered. Godric was the only one who knew about Barry and he clearly understood the lingo.

He just nodded. "Dont leave town. I'll pick you up tomorrow night. We have things to discuss," he said. Godric kissed Josephine's forehead. He was the one who recruited her for that near suicide mission. Godric could have gotten out of the Fellowship headquarters easily, but with her help, he seemed vulnerable. He actually was a bit. The vampire haters could have used Josephine as leverage. So if Josephine would have died, her blood would have been on Godric's hands, and Godric would have died before he let that happen.

"Goodnight everyone," Josephine said. She grabbed her bike helmet and donned it. Her dark hair was no longer visible.

"Goodnight Josephine," Stan said. She blew him a kiss, twirled in a circle, and walked away.

She drove to one of her many apartments. Godric insisted that if she lived alone, she must rotate homes so she could lessen her chances of being cornered. "About fucking time you got home" Barry said the second she walked through the door.

Josephine took off her helmet and held it to her hip."Relative in town. Plus, you know the vampires," she said. Barry was not a vamp fan, but he knew they offered serious protection, so he did not rant about them either.

"What happened this time?" Barry asked playfully.

"Fellowship tried torchin' Godric and me," Josephine told him, her Louisiana accent was oozing now. It was a sign of her being tired, or drunk but she hadn't started drinking yet. He took in a deep breath in shock.

"I decided to be more open about my telepathy. I'm going to work for the King of Texas now," he said. The king was Stan. Josephine felt that the term King did not fit the cowboy. He hardly ever even made political decisions!

"That's great, Barry! Want to go celebrate?" Josephine asked innocently.

"You'll celebrate over anything," Barry said and rolled his eyes. They went drink at the closest bar, a run down old thing that reminded her of Merlotte's back in Bon Temps. Josephine went back to her apartment early. She was getting homesick for the first time in six years. Barry said he would stay for a few more tequila shots, and he would be on his way to his home too. Josephine was sure he would find a way back home responsibly.

There was a rapping at the window. Godric and a blond Louisiana vampire was standing there. It was ten to twenty minutes until dawn. "What do you want?" Josephine asked, she clearly had a hangover.

"A place to rest. Someone was partying a little too hard," Godric teased. Josephine growled and let them in.

"I'm going back to bed. True Blood in the fridge, I think," she mumbled and got back in bed.

"Sweet dreams," Godric said. He slipped under the sheets and draped an arm around me. Josephine easily fell back asleep. It was not the first time they slept in the same bed together. Her room was light-proofed for a reason.

When Josephine woke up, she was trapped under Godric's arm. She nudged him a little bit. Thank God he was an ancient vampire. "What?" he mumbled.

"Can you please move your arm?" Josephine asked politely.

"Why? Stay with me. Don't leave me with Eric," he whined playfully. That must have been the blond's name. They were never formally introduced.

"I got to go strip. I work days now," Josephine explained. He let her go. Josephine had worked nights every now and again when Godric did not need her, but with all the Fellowship plotting, she had to make a schedule change.

"Will you be back before the sun sets?" he asked softly.

"Of course. Go back to sleep," Josephine told him. He did just that. She dressed into some day clothes and left the house.

It was extremely boring at work for Josephine, which is saying something for working at a strip joint. She collected her money and left. The sun was starting to set. Godric should be up.

"How was work?" Godric asked when Josephine walked inside the apartment.

"I hate day shifts," she muttered and walked to get a beer.

Josephine's cellphone began to ring. It was Barry. "We got your friend at the church. Come before dawn or he dies," the voice of Steve Newlin said.

She looked into the vampires' faces. They were talking amongst themselves. The blond still never talked directly to Josephine. How impolite. "See you then," she said with fake cheer and hung up. She didn't want them following her to the church.

"Who was that?" Godric asked.

"Barry," Josephine answered. It was partly true. It was his phone. A tear ran down my cheek.

"What's wrong?" Godric asked.

"Tonight is my last night here. I got to hit the road again," She said, again not exactly false. Josephine wanted to go home. She started packing her bag. She put her gun in her back pocket and her blood-stained and hole-covered leather jacket on. The memories she had with this jacket could fill a book.

"Josephine Lynn, where are you going?" Godric asked forcefully. He was getting angry, and quite frankly, Josephine did not care.

"A place that you're not going to," she told him. If he goes, it was risking Barry's life.

"Like hell I'm not," he said.

"I'm going in, getting the person, and leaving. That's it. I'll be back before I hit the road," she told him and left them in her apartment.

She parked her motorcycle and entered the church."You're here early. You didn't even bring back up," Steve Newlin mocked. A few big guys was with him.

"Shut up. I'm here. Let him go," She said to Steve. Barry ran out. Truth was, she did not need back up. With her violet eyes, she could see emotions and ultimately, assume their moves. That's all she needed to know to learn how to react to the situation. These were nothing but thugs who loved a God that may or may not exist. God probably even liked the vampires more than he liked Steve Newlin's gay ass.

"I want to fight," Barry said.

"No. You will take my motorcycle, go to my place, and rest," Josephine said firmly. He jumped on her bike and left, like an obedient young boy. Hopefully, Godric wasn't there anymore. He and Barry weren't really amigos.

The guys all moved towards her. She took out her gun and shot at them, not killing any of them, but the majority fell over in pain. She shot at Steve again, this time for the kill, and ran for Stan's mansion. That was the safest place that was close by.

It was close to ten when Josephine finally reached the mansion. She was exhausted. Stan, himself, opened the door. He must have been waiting on her. "What did you do tonight, my angel?" Stan asked. Sookie and her vampire were staring at her. Josephine, unselfconsciously thought about her hair. Oh sweet Jesus, she was probably insulting the looks of all strippers right now. Her poor hair did not deserve this type of cruelty.

"Shot some people at the Fellowship. Barry took my bike," Josephine said breathlessly. She just wanted to sprint towards the nearest bathroom and check her physical damage. There was no way you could ran like she did and still look pretty decent.

"Good for you. Barry, the telepath I just hired?" Stan asked.

"Yes. Can I use someone's phone?" Josephine asked. Sookie's vampire tossed me his cellphone. According to his phone, his name was Bill. That was sort of plain. Putting that depressing side note aside, Josephine dialed Godric's cellphone number.

"Godric speaking," he answered. He always answered the same. Josephine tried to tell him that saying "Hello" every once and a while wouldn't kill him. After all, he is dead.

"I'm at Stan's place," Josephine told him. He could put two and two together quickly.

"Are you well?" he asked.

"Of course," she said, deciding to leave out the whole "I just took out a crap load of Jesus thugs".

"We will be there in a few minutes," he said after a few seconds of silence and hung up. Josephine poured her something to drink and laid down on the couch.

"Josephine Lynn Stackhouse, you're in a world of trouble," Godric said. His voice never breaking above his usual speaking voice, but yet it still showed anger.

"I know! I just killed a preacher. I think I'm going to Hell," Josephine told him, smiling. There was no way Godric could ever be truly mad at her for pulling a stunt like he does all the time.

"I could've told you that before you went off and killed Steve Newlin," Godric told me. His blond vampire child was behind him.

"You killed Steve?" Stan asked.

"Sure did. I didn't plan on it," Josephine told the kng with a wicked grin. Godric rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Tell me next time, okay?" Godric asked and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'll try," She told him.

"I didn't see your bike outside," Godric stated.

"I walked," She told him. He was staring at her feet. They were extremely red. The pumping adrenaline must have covered over the pain.

"In heels?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah. A shopping trip is now in order," Josephine grumbled.

He laughed. "I'll accompany you after work," Godric offered.

"Not going. I'm leaving. Now," I told him.

"Why now? Can I not spend time with the two people who mean the most to me?" he asked sadly. This intervention was beginning to get to full of emotions for a room full of vampires. Like completely full. It was intermixed with vamps across the southern states.

"I don't feel like pouring out my feelings with so many in the room," Josephine told them, her eyes took a quick glance over the few humans in the room.

"You better have a good explanation later, Josephine Lynn," he said. Josephine kissed him on the cheek and walked out the door. Then, she remembered, no bike. Well, her heels were already ruined. She decided a leisure stroll would not be a bad thing.

Josephine's bike was where she usually parked it. Grabbing the spare key from underneath a potted plant, Josephine ran inside, grabbed her things, jumped on her bike, and sped away. She made sure to leave an extensive note for Barry and/or Godric. She would not be contacting them for a while. Godric was not going to be very happy that his violet-eyed girl would just pack up and leave. She was sure Godric would go to the extent of making sure her protection extended to Bon Temps. His blond vampire, Eric, must have power in Louisiana. It would probably be Eric that Godric would get to babysit her. Josephine groaned. She needed a break from vamp business. Goodbye, Dallas. Hello Bon Temps.


End file.
